From Amy Thomas, author of Paris, My Sweet. A love affair with Paris, New York, sweets and, now, a little girl named Parker.

Monday, June 20, 2011

French word of the day: le plaisir

"Le plaisir… is something so much more definite and more evocative than what we mean when we speak of pleasure… To the French it is part of the general fearless and joyful contact with life."—Edith Wharton

Page 22 of Elaine Sciolino’s book La Seduction, and I am already hooked. I am reminded why I love the French. Why I and gazillions of people like me go to Paris once and are hooked for life. It’s that je ne sais quoi that oozes from every Parisian’s gesture and glance. It permeates the air, making the whole city a moving, breathing, seductive creature. Elegance, sensuality, pleasure, beauty—things that are certainly missing in New York City. Things that are reminding me to get back to Paris, tout de suite. In the meantime, I’ll have to keep studying everything inside the book whose subtitle is “How the French Play the Game of Life”.

6 comments:

Well, that just went on my booklist !I know what you mean .. I have been vaguely homesick lately ( mostly for things like books, tv , family) but then I miss Paris in a whole other way !I know if / when we leave Buenos Aires, I will miss the people more than the place, in that catagory- nowhere else has been better ... really.But to live in Paris ? hmmmm ... seriously considering :)

Sometimes I wonder why you left Paris in the first place, Amy...:) In a way, I understand though. It is nice to be in Paris, but it is also nice to have Paris as your "happy place", your fantasy... and it's much harder to do that when you live in the city:)

I agree with Duchesse about a place being your Happy Place, the place you dream about and remember with fondness on days when real life where you now live isn't so dreamy... But ... after living in a lovely place that is wonderful in ways that other places, including "home" are not as wonderful, I can totally relate to missing the Other place. (Paris for you) I know when we leave, I will miss Buenos Aires every day ... but you know what , I miss Paris all the time too. I think I need to indulge that soon .. if possible.